Aircraft



Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,554

J. BOLGIANO AIRCRAFT Filed Feb. 9, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l I /71/6/1 for Dec. 13, 192 7.

J. BOLGIANO AIRCRAFT Filed Feb. 9Y 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Z@ @E 3m Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,554

J. BOLGIANO AIRCRAFT Filed Feb. 9. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,554

J. BOLGIANO AIRCRAFT Filed Feb. 9. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 T LQ-- :Aq-1g. 5.

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Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BOLGIANO, OF .NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WORLD-WIDE PATENT ENTERv PRISES, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AIRCRAFT.

Application ated February 9, 1925. Serial No. 7,961.

This invention relates to improvements in aircraft and has for its object to provide a simple, elticient and powerful aeroplane or airship designed to develop great speed, ac-

v curate navigation, and capable of supporting and hauling cargo and passengers.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide aircraft with means for maintaining it in perfect equilibrium while the machine is in Hight. To this end I have devised a combination propeller and stabilizing agent which is capable not only of driving the machine at a greater speed than is atttained by use of the conventional pro- V pellers but which also assists in balancing the machine in its flight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide aircraft which utilizes the supporting power of articial air gusts or cur- 10 rents to obtain greater sustaining and stabilizing power for the ship proportionately to the weight of the latter. i

A\nother object of the present invention is to create air pressure against the opposing i5 sides of a cabin for the purpose of balancing the same in motion so that the air displaced by the reaction of the machine against the atmosphere is made to do work in stabilizing the machine. Y

A still further object of the present invention is to maintain the lateral and longitudinal stability of tjhe machine'while in flight in practically every condition of the atmosphere pressure and densities which produce air gusts, eddies, etc. The tendency of my invention is to minimize the disturbance of the atmosphere during the forward flight of the machine thereby increasing head resistance.

In carrying out the present-invention I have so designed the parts thereof as to conduce towards attaining a more economical and efficient arrangement and balancing of masses about the longitudinal axis of the 15, machine, whereby better stabilizing tractive force is obtained. Use is made of a plurality of sustaining bodies one being a central cabin flanked b v two fuselages,v there being a separate propeller connected at one f1 `end of the machine to said fuselages, and a multi-fan propeller connected at the other end ofthe machine to the cabin.

Owing to this construction the machine when in operation and in flight establishes perfect equilibrium because there isa parallel pull exerted in driving the machine. The multi-blade ropeller is larger than either of the other driving propellers and serves to create a suction in two air channels formed between the fuselages and the central cabin en whereby air currents are forcibly caused to impinge against the opposite sides of the cabin of sufficient density to prevent the machine or planes from pitching readily.

A still further object of the present invention is to inaugurate a low-level propulsion for airships and aeroplanes because the nearer to the surface of the earth the ship flies the heavier the air pressure and the denser the air the greater the resistance offer-ed to the propeller blades, hence the `greater the speed attained. The large multifan or blower propeller creates reat speed and at the same time causes a proldigious displacement of air in upward currents in the late-ral air channels v,causing the sides of the cabin to reactthereagainst to maintain the side walls thereof roperly balanced against natural gusts or eddies,

The two front propellers are relied upon not so much 4for the purpose of driving the machine as for the purpose of maintaining `the equilibrium of the machine assisted by the rear large multi-fan propeller which is the main driving propeller.l

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a flying machine with a series of planes extending from one end of the machine to'the other in order to multiply the resistance against the action of the atmosphere reacted upon.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary compact control for operating the plane tilting mechanism` the vertical rudder and the horizontal rudder respectively. This unitary control is designed to operate all of these parts interchangeably separately or eoniunctively.

In general the present invention aims to provid e aircraft fit for commercial use for the transportation of heavy bodies speedily and safely, making it possible to cover greater distances without intermediate stops from starting point to point ofdestination. In the particular 'that this machine is able to maintain its equilibrium automatically and to be self-righting against` the influence of adverse natural gusts, and due to the fact that the machine set-s up in flight artificial air gusts to counteract the natural eddies, it is more dependable than most types of present-day air-craft. In that this machine has a large multi-blade propeller as a main driver flanked, at the opposite end of the machine where it is itself located, by two supplementary propellers and in that the planes extend in a consecutive series from end to end of the machine the lifting and lowering eliiciency is increased in direct proportion as is its speed. In addition to the plane tilting or deflecting tendency of the air-reacting port-ions of the machine lifting and lowering fans are provided to avoid running the machine on the ground-for the necessary momentum suitable for lifting purposes. These lifting and lowering fans are driven by motors which are electrically propelled from electric current generated fromA the engines that drive the driving propellers'.

With the above and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts thruout the Several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan'view of my invention in one form.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the construction of plane and lifting fan for conjointtilting movement.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal view of the machine with one wall removed.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the ymachine with its top removed.

Fh'gure 8 is a diagrammatic view modification of flying machine.

Figure 9 is another diagrammatic view showing the action of the tiltingnplanes.

Figure 10 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the front propeller fans showing their universal movement controlled from a unitary device.

Figure 11 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of one form of propeller shifting mechanism.

Figure 12 is a fragmental view of the cabin showing a buer arrangement.

of a

Figure 13 is a plan view of part of the mechanism for shifting the angle of the front propeller fans.

Figure 14 is a plan view of a propeller fan and a universal connection to the operating motor.

Figure 15 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit controlling the -electrical driving of the propeller lifting fan driving motors.

Figure 16 is a vertical sectional view of the aviators control of the various moving parts of the machine.

Figure 17 is a side View of a modification showing scoops arranged to direct air against the planes.

Referring to the drawings which are merely illustrative of my invention the several parts of my invention are shown. A My flying machine consists of three buoyant bodies, being preferably hollow so as to contain cargo, freight and passengers. The central body is preferably the cabin where the passengers are accommodated, the other bodies beingr fuselages.A 10 and 12 designate the fuselages and 11 designates the central cabin; these fuselages and cabin are preferably made of uniform lengthand may exs tend parallel 0r may converge towards the front so long as they provide two or more air ducts or channels M and N between the central cabin and fuselages for equilizing and stabilizin purposes. The inner walls 13 of the fuse ages at the front of the machine may be beveled while the opposite walls of the front terminal of the cabin 11 may have forwardly converging sides 14. The inclined walls 13, 14 provide flaring entrances into the air ducts or channels lvl and N. The parts 13, 10 together with 11 are supported by an open framework and M and N are passageways inclosed on the right and left respectively.

Two propeller shafts 15 are extended rotatably from the fuselages 10 and 12v and carry propeller fans 16 and 17. It will be noticed that the front terminal ot' the cern tral cabin is not providedwith a propeller fan. At the rear of the machine is located a Shaft 18 extending into the cabin 11 and mounted rotatively on shaft 18 is a relatively large gigantic multi-blade propeller wheel 19 being powerful compared with the front smaller propellers 16 and 17 and designed to act as the main driving propeller.

It will particularly he noticed that this propeller' 19 is of such a diameter that it bars the adjacent ends of the air channels or ducts M and N and in its sweep it intersects these ends so that when this propeller is in motion so great is the vortex created very close to these last named ends of the airrhanneis that a suction is created in these air channels causing the violently displaced air to back up, rise as two walls or currents of llo lill

dense air and impinge against the opposing r `iso sides of the cabin 11 as well as against the adjacent sides of the fuselages 10 and 12. This causes one displacement of air commensurate with the longitudinal axis of the Inachine which impels the machine and sustains it in flight and another displacement vertically against the effective surfaces of the opposing walls of the cabin, the air displaced in each case being sufiiciently powerful to overcome gravity in one case and to resist pitching of the cabin in the other case.

With this fundamental construction of the body of the fiying machine it willbe Seen that better control is given the aviator of the sustaining planes and a greater area or surface allowed these planes whereby they may extend as a separated longitudinal series as monoplanes or biplanes, as the case may be, from one end of the machine to the other end thereof. Thus four biplanes are illustrated as one embodiment of this idea. The upper planes are designated respectively 46. 46. 46", and 46"; the lower planes which are disposed parallel with corresponding upper planes are designated respectively 46', 46h. 46c', and 46d.

A frame 20 envelops thc wheel 19 and is connected to the rear of the cabin 11. A vertical rudder shaft 21 is connected in a frame 23 secured to frame 20 of the machine and arranged to turn with shaft 21 is a vertical rudder 22 for steering the machine toward the left or right as 'will readily be understood by those skilled in the art. At the bottom of this shaft 21 is a pulley 88 on which is trained a chain hereinafter referred to. 0n a base support 24 forming :in appendage to the frame 23 is a horizontal shaft 25 upon which is journaled a horizontal rudder 26 whereby the ship is assisted materially in going upwardly or downwardly.

A frame 27 is suitably connected to the machine havingjournal boxes29 in which are rotatively received the ends of a shaft 28 upon which are fixed the traction wheels 30 located at the center. of the machine. There are several wheels 30 as shown in Figure 3 by means of whiehthe machine may be run upon the field into its hangar. The flaring entrances into the air4 duets or channels are designated O.

lt is designed preferably to drive the main drive suction-producing multi-blade wheel 29 by a steam plant a high power rapidly-generating steam generator being employcd. or the combined expansive qualities ot' air and steam in an appropriatel type of motor may be employed. The front supplemental propellers are employed principally as stabilizing agents seeing that there are two propellcrs at the front of the machine .straddling the central cabin while there is one relatively larger propeller at the rear of the machine straddling the air channels at the same time. The shaft 18 carrying the large powerful multi-blade wheel 19 carries a pulley 31 on which is trained a belt 32 passing around another pulley 33 fixed upon a shaft (not. designated) the pulley 31 being fixed upon the shaft 34 journaled in a bearing 35 secured upon the fiooring of the cabin 11, in which bearing vthe other shaft carrying pulley 33 also journaled. Shaft 41 connected to motor 42 carries a pulley 37 upon which is trained a belt 38 also trained upon another pulley 39 fixed upon the same shaft upon which pulley 33 is mounted. Mo` tor 42, thru shaft. 41 and drive connections above described drives the shaft 18 of the wheel 19. A steam engine 44 is located in the power plant room of the cabin at the rear of the machine, which room is in charge of the engineer with assistants. Steam is lead into the engine thru the steam domes 45 or other appropriate steam suppliers or generators.

Owing to the fact that there are a plurality of planes employed to properly react against. the atmosphere under influence 0f thc propeller-s and that they extend longitudinally of the cabin and side fusela-ges it is necessary to rovide greater speed and better stability ecause of the increase in the weight of the machine. Nevertheless owing -f' to the use of the high power suction ap driving propeller wheel 19 at the rear of the machine and of the self-righting feature of the front. straddling ropellers, as well as the action of the arti cial highressure air gusts acting in and thru the air channels, the machine can be made heavier with suflcient compensating factors to make it speedier and safer in the, course of its flight. To assist raising and lowering of the machine without troublesome balancing influences. the helicopter propeller fans 52 are provided which may be duplicated at the topor bottom of the machine. These helicopters arc designed to tilt in unison with and at the same angle with the wings are planes 46, etc.

The wings or planes are interconnected in parallelism by means of the crossed rods or similar expediente 47 and 48, which are d1- agonally and ivotally connected to the opposing ends oPthe wings or corners thereof, the rods 47, 48 preferably passing thru shafts 49 (illustrated in Figure 4) suitably journaled in the cabin walls. The cabin 11 may be made wider and higher than the fnselages or bodies 1() and 12 as shown in Figure 3 if this will subserve a better bal ancing arrangement. The hollow fuselages are made to contain look-outs or other operators as well as cargo.

The .helicopter shafts 51 also pass thru the shafts 49 so that upon the rotation of the shafts 49 or any of them the shafts 51 and rods 47, 48 mutt turn with them thereby tilting simultaneously the planes 46, etc., and

loo

the helicopter fans 52. This is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 9. The tilting of these wings of course controls the direction of upward or lowered movement of the machine as well understood by those skilled in the art. It will be understood that the arrangement of the crossed connections 47, 48 is repeated a number of times longitudinally of the wings or planes 46, etc., as are the hellcopter fans 52. The shafts 49 extend from end to end of the planes as shown in Figure 2 so that while the rods 47, 48 support the planes longitudinally the shafts 49 are designed effectively to simultaneously turn the planes or wings 46, etc. The tilt of the planes and helicopters is sufficient to allovvr the machine to ascend or descend in conj unction with the tilting of the rudder 26 supplied to take care of the rather unequally weighted engine-room end of the machine. The planes canbe constructed of any desired Stiflened material of pro er length and thickness and width according to the load to be sustained in flight and will have proper resiliency as well.- The helicopters are very light bodies and are readilyV supported in bearings mounted upon the wings the1nselves the shafts 51 for rotating them being simultaneousl operated thru cross-shafts 52aL shown in igure 1, thru drive connections not shown.

It is necessary that the helicopter shafts 51 be rotated while they tilt together with the wings 46, etc. For this purpose a separate motor is provided for each main shaft 51 ofv each series of helicopters driven thru the cross shafts 52. These motors 54 are operatively strung and supported oscillatively upon the shafts 51 intermediate their ends and these motorsare operatively provided with drive instrumentalities and' 56 by which shafts 51 are rotated. The turning of the shafts 49 tilt all the shafts 51 in unison and cause the motors 54 to tilt with them While the gearing 55 and 56 function to rotate the helicopters.

Pins 57 carried by the shafts 51 project guidedly into slots 58 formed upon plates 59 secured rigidly upon the flooring of the cabin along the center line thereof as shown iu Figure 7. Sprockets or similar positive drive elements 53 are provided centrally of the cabin 11 upon shafts 49 and sprocket chain 54 is trained upon all of these sprockets 53 for the purpose of simultaneously turning all of the shafts 49 at the same time, there being another sprocket 58 suitably rotatatively supported upon which and an other sprocket 58 on the same shaft with the first sprocket 53 is trained another chain 55. and on the shaft 56 of sprocket 58 is a niit'r gear 57'which meshes with another miter gcar 58 fixed upon a shaft 62 which conveys motion to a miter gear 63 which meshes with another miter gear 64 on a polygonal portion of a vertical shaft 75, a sleeve 65 being secured to gear 64.

For the purpose of raising or depressing the gear 64 into and out of clutched and drivenrelation with the gear 62 a foot pedal 69 is operatively connected to sleeve 65. This sleeve rests depressingly upon a stout spring 66 which itself rests upon an arm 67 of a support 68 secured upon thev ooring of the cabin at its front end. The sprin 66 is tixedly secured at one endy upon the s aft 75 and holds this shaft spaced at its lower end from a clutch element 86 mounted rotatively upon a pintle 89 operatively journaled in vertical position. On shaft 89 is a. sprocket wheel 87 upon which is trained a sprocket chain 88 which is also trained upon the sprocket wheel 88', fixed upon the vertical rudder shaft 21. A spring 84 is coiled around the lower end of shaft 75 and is also held suspended upon the arm 67 of bracket or support 68. A clutch element 85 carried at the extreme lower end of shaft 75 cooperates with clutch element 86.

A sleeve 73 is rotatively mounted around a cylindrical portion of the control shaft 75 and this sleeve carries a collar 72 of suitable diameter to which is secured one end of` a rope 70 which is passed upon a number of pulleys or rollers 71 wherever needed, the opposite end of this rope being attached to the horizontal rudder 26 at the tail end of the machine. This ro e passes thru a hand wheel 77 which contro s the several parts of the shaft 75. This hand wheel is located within easy reach of the hands of the aviator who is seated in the seat 90 at the front of the machine, where he has complete view and circumspection of the atmosphere about him thru any of the windows shown in the front of the machine as illustrated in Figure 3.

The hand wheel 77 is yieldably secured at the uppermost end of the shaft 75 where it is splined slidably on said shaft, being held against sliding downwardly thereon by a spring 81. This wheel operatively carries a clutch element 82 for interengagement with another clutch element mounted upon the upper end of the rotatable sleeve 73.

In operation it is designed to enable the aviator while sitting inthe scat 90, or the pilot similarly sitting, to interchangeably operate together or separately the various movable control parts of the machine. It will bc necessaivto provide means for locking these movable parts in assigned position. This forms the sub]ectmatter of another application. Normally the operator can turn the wheel 77 without pressing downwardly thereupon, the latch bar 78 working against the tension of a spring 80 to allow this. As wheel 77 thus turns gears 63, 64 meshingly turn shaft 62 which thru the connections hereinbefore described turns the shafts 49 lul) thereby cau the planes and helicopter fans desi nate 46, etc. and 52 respectively to tilt, t e direction ofV tilting depending obviously upon the direction in which the hand wheel 77 is turned. Thus the machine can be caused to ascend or descend the continuously rot-ating helicopters assisting in this function. The machine can rise without ruiming the machine considerably upon the ground due to these helicopters. The operator can instantl whenever desired kick in or down the pe al 69 thereby separating or disconnecting gears 63 and 64 and thus keeping the planes horizontal. Should the operator wish to operate the vertical rudder simultaneously with the planetilting mechanism he simply presses downwardl slightly upon the` hand wheel 77; this epresses spring 84 enough to allow clutch elements 85 and 86 to interengage whereby sprockets 87 and 88 are turned and the vertical rudder operated while the plane tilting mechanism is also operated at the same time. It will be noticed that as spring 84 is depressed the shaft 77 slides thru sleeve 65 and spring 66 without depressin said spring; and it will further be notice that that hand wheel 77 has not been depressed far enough to connect clutch elements 82 and 83 because the latch bar 78 locks hand wheel 77 to its spline not allowingrthis wheel to slide upon its spline; consequently the shaftl is bodily depressed to connect clutch elements 85 and 87.

Similarly the plane tilting mechanism, the helicopter tilting mechanism, and the horizontal rudder can be conjointly operated from the operators seat very convenientl The plane tilting mechanism is o rated in the mere act of turning the hand w eel. The operator ushes back on the latch bar release device 79 while maintaining turning pressure upon the hand wheel; this releases hand wheel 77 from its spline and allows this wheel to slip downwardly on its spline until clutch elements 82 and 83 interconnect. This allows the operator to hold these clutch elements interlocked and he then turns the hand wheel 77 causin the sleeve 73 to turn whereby the rope 70 is pulled or jerked in the desired direction operating the horizontal rudder accordingly.

It may become necessary to operate simultaneously the vertical and horizontal rudders but not the plane tilting mechanisms; as where the machine is directed to turn about its center at an inclination. This is readily accomplished by the operator stepping down upon tlie pedal 69 while he releases the hand wheel from its spline at the upper end of shaft 75; he connects clutch elements 82 and 83 after ressin the hand wheel slightly downwar ly against the tension of spring 81; he presses some more down upon shaft 75 after clutch elements 82 and 83 are interconnected this slides shaft 75 down thrul sleeve 65, connects clutch elements 85 and 87 together against the tension of spring 84 and drives the'chain that operates the vertical rudder; the spline allows shaft 75 to t-urn as the hand wheel turns thel collar 72 on sleeve 73 that carries clutch element 83, so that the horizontal rudder is also operated.

B allowing the gears 63 and 64 to intermesliI and removing pressure upon the pedal 69 all the mechanisms can be operated. The simultaneous control of the vertical and horizontal rudders has just been explained and now the plane tilting mechanism also operates. kIt will thus be seen that one aviator has complete control of all the moving parts of the machine.`

It is designed to shift the front propeller shafts 15 universally or upwardly and laterally. It will be found advantageous to do this accordingly as the adverse iniluences of natural gusts aectin the front part of the machine dictate, as w ere the machine is to be steered head-on in one direction when a severe wind tends to pull it counteractingly in a counter direction. The propeller shafts 15 may then quickly be turned in an opposite direction to that in which the ship is being pulled as it is being steered, thus neutralizing the counteracting adverse effects of the natural severe gusts. And if the wind exerts a violent severe downward pressure upon the ship as it is desired to ascend the propeller shafts 15 can be directed downwar ly. In any shifted position of the propeller mechanism will be ade uately provided to hold these shafts in adJusted position.

The operator already given control compactly of the means for directing the ship in its course is also given instant and quick control of this propeller-shaft shifting mechanism thru another hand wheel normally arranged in alinement with the other hand Wheel 77. This hand wheel is shown in Figures 6 and 11 where it is designated 77. It may be mounted in one form of construction upon a vertical shaft 106 contained rotatively in a bearing 10T and imparting movement to a miter gear 102 which meshes with another miter gear 100 which is connected operatively to a sleeve 99 into which is received the respectively right and left handed threaded ends of two rods and 96 which in this instance will be guided horizontally in bearings (not shown) so that the propeller shafts 15 may be swung laterally but not vertically.

Figure 13 shows how these shafts may be operated both verticall as well as laterally and horizontally. It will be noted from Figure 14 that each propeller shaft 15 is connected to a universal pivot suitably supported as at 91; its free end is again univerjury.

sally connected as at 94 to a sleeve 114 in which fits with a polygonal edge in telescoping relation a shaft 117 driven directly from a motor 118; there being two motors 118, one for each shaft 15 and these motors are preferably mounted in the uselagesy 10 and 12. The shafts 15 may thus be tilted vertically or laterally the telescoping parts 114 and 115 allowing a compensatory action. The rods 95 and 96 are shown in Figure 10 to be universally connected to the ends of the shaft extensions 93.

Referring now to Figure 13 it will be seen that the right and left hand threaded ends of rods 95 and 96 are screwed into the connecting and bridging sleeve 99 which sleeve has a miter gear 101 rotatively connected thereto; this gear 101 meshes with another gear 102 fixed upon a shaft 103 carrying the hand wheel 104 which will also be disposed in alinement with hand wheel 7 105 on sleeve 99 holds gear 102 in permanent connection with gear 101. A worm and worm wheel might be substituted in place of the gears 101 and 102. It will now be seen that the shaft 103 acts as a handle'whereby without rotating the gears the two rods 95 and 96 can be turned with shafts 15 upon universal pivots 92 so the shafts 15 can be raised or lowered; by rotating gears 101 and 102 the sleeve is turned causing the rods to separate the ends of shafts 15 nearest the motors a greater or less distance apart so that their front propeller-carrying ends may converge or diverge as may be desired. Similarly while these shafts 15 are thus lifted theylmay be converged or diverged instantly. These shifted movements may be constrained to last as by locking the parts in assigned position while the operator operates the other controls of the machine. i

The machine may have butler springs 112 arranged in a consecutive series in special compartments arranged parallel with any given number of its side walls, top bottom, etc.; the springs 113 being shown secured vertically. These springs act as buffers in case of any violent collision whereby the cargo or passengers may possible escape in- As vthe rear end of the machine may be heavier than the front or any other portion due to the engines,l and accessories as well as the larger propeller wheel 19 I may arrange, as shown in Figure 8 diagrammatically certain tiers of planes or wings to subject a greater eflective sustaining surface at this end of the machine. 'lhus the planesmay be disposed in an ascending series from the front towards the rear end of the machine: the greatest number of wings` in vertical alinement being at the rear and the least at the front, the center having two sets of wings more than the frontmost planes and The yoke` less than the rearmost wings. Other ideas can be eiectively utilized along similar lines.

VThe motors 54 are all driven by electricity, being electric motors and they drive the relatively light helicopters. The main motor 42 (see Figure 15) driven from the engines 44 is connected by its shaft 119 and supported miter gear 120 with ay miter gear driven from gear 120 and designated 121. Gear 121 is on a shaft 121 of an electric generator 122 that furnishes current to feed the motors 52. A wire B runs from the generator 122 and connects by terminals E and D to motors 54, two in number; the other two motors 54 being connected by terminals E and F to a wire A coming from the other side of generator 122; a neutral wire C leaves the generator 122 and connects by shunt wires G, H, I, J, to all the four motors. In this way a return is provided from all motors to the generator no matter which way it received current whether thru one wire A or B.

Figure 17 shows an arrangement where a series of longitudinally spaced apart scoops 123 are provided upon the opposite sides of the cabin so as to project into the air channels M and N. They point upwardly towards the upper planes 46, etc. so that when a suction is created by propeller wheel 19 in these air channels the artificial gusts direct air under pressure against the planes t0 better sustain the machine.

It will be seen from an inspection of Fig` ure 7 that various quarters are provided for passengers, assistants, etc., as at 125, while quarters 124 are set apart for freight and cargo.' The quarters 126 ati'ord parlor conveniences for the passengers, and con'tain stores for selling necessities. Everything necessary to maintain all the works of the machine can be done in the separate engine and machine shop quarters at the rear of the cabin. Should something happen to the front propellers or helicopters the main drive wheel 19 will bring the machine safely1 to earth. Should anything happen to main driving wheel 19 the front propellers and helicopters can allow machine to safely descend.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my invention contains an embodiment of certain controls whereby better equalization, balancing and stability is given the flying machine in ilight; whereby the action of severe natural gusts and eddies is counteractcd by artificial gusts: and wherein the displaced air is made to automatically stabilize the machine. Numerous changes may bc resorted to in practice without departing in spirit from the details herein disclosed.

'What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:M

l. A llying machine consitting 0f a plurality of hollow bodies, a plurality of planes iiiovably connected longitudinally of said bodies, there being two air channels intervening between said bodies, propellers located in front of the outermost bodies, and a relatively larger multi-vane propeller located at the rear of the central body and having a sweep completely across the adjacent ends ot' said air channels.

2. A flying machine of' the kind' described consistinvr of a longitudinal cabin flanked by a plurality of coextensive fuselages whereby air channels are formed extending on either side of said cabin, a plurality of planes movably connected longitudinally of all of said uselages as well as of said cabin, means carried by said planes and connected to said cabin for lifting the machine, propellers carried by said fuselages at the front of the machine, and a relatively larger blower propeller connected to the rear of said cabin and being of a diameter greater than the distance between the inner sides of said fuselages.

3. A flying machine of the kind described consisting of a lon tudinal cabin flanked by a plurality of uselages of any length therewith, said fuselages and cabin defining opposing air channels, a propeller mounted at the front of each fuselage, and a single relatively larger blower propeller connected rotatably to said cabin at its rear for the purpose of forcing currents of air through said air channels.

4. A flyin machine of the kind described consisting o a central elon ated cabin, a plurality of fuselages space coextensively and longitudinall alongside said cabin so as to provide longitudinal air ducts on either side of said cabin, a plurality of planes operatively connected above and below said cabin and fuselages, lifting propellers carried by said planes and connected to said cabin, means at the front of the machine and adjacent the front of the cabin for propelling said machine, and a single relatively large blower propeller rotatin ly mounted upon the cabin at its rea-r an effective to create a suction in said air ducts.

5. In a flying machine a stabilizing apparatus consisting of a plurality of coextensive bodies providin between them air channels, u pluralitv of planes movably connected longitudinally ot all of said bodies, a pair of driving propellers operatively connected each lo the outermost body, and a larger and uiore powerful propeller operatively' connevted to the central body at the end opposite to that where the former propellers are disposed, and having a sweep intersecting the planes of saidv air channels.

6. In a flying machine a stabilizing apparatus consisting of a pluralit of coextensive bodies, the central body bein wider than the outermost bodies, a plura ity of planes movably connected above and below said bodies in alineinent, a single driving propeller connected to the central body at one end and located in close proximity to each air channel adjacent its end, a pair of propellers smaller than the first propeller mounted on the outermost bodies, and mechnisin within said central body for driving all of said Propellers.

7. In a flying machine, a stabilizing apparatus consisting of a plurality of co-extensive bodies providing on either side of the central body two co-extensive air channels, a propeller carried by the first and third body, a larger propeller immediately in the back of said central body and having a circumferential series of vanes effectively and synchronously sweeping across the combined area of the adjacent ends of both air channels wheieby during the motion of said propeller sustaining air currents are caused to flow through said air channels for engaging the opposite sides of said central body.

8. A flying machine consisting of a central cabin having a forwardly converging prow, two coextensive fuselages arranged at either side ol said cabin and roviding a pair of air channels on either si e thereof, the inner sides of said fuselages curving in a direction opposite to the adjacent side of the prow of said cabin whereby the adjacent ends of said air channels flare outwardly, small prope'llers connected respectively to the fuselages at the flaring ends of said air channels, a series of tiltable planes connected to said fuselages and cabin, and a relatively large blower pro el'ler connected to said cabin at the opposite end of the machine and intersecting in its sweep the adjacent ends of said air channels.

9. A flying machine consisting of a central cabin, an even number of bodies extendin in space-apart relation from each side of sai cabin so as to provide co-extensive air channels, means at the front of the machine disposed independently of said cabin for propellingly balancing the machine, and means at the rear of the machine disposed independently of said bodies for simultaneously pushing the machine and for powerfully inducing the displaced air to flow through said air channels to stabilize all of said bodies.

10. In a flying machine the combination of a central cabin, a plurality of flanking bodies, propeller shafts mounted upon said bodies on either side of said cabin, motors in said bodies for driving said shafts, and unitarv means in said cabin designated to swing said propeller shafts in the same direction or opposite directions.

11. In a ilying machine the combination of a central cabin, two flanking fuselages, propeller shafts mounted in said fuselages, motors in said fuselages for turning said shafts, and mechanism in said cabin designed to allow both shafts to swing vertically in the same or in opposite directions.

12. In a flying machine the combination of a central cabin and flanking bodies, propel'ler shafts rotatably mounted in said bodies, propeller fans projecting from` said shafts beyond said bodles, said shafts capable of swinging vertically and horizontall and a single control hand wheel connecte to said shafts for actuating them in unison.

13. In a flying machine the combination of a. central cabin and flanking bodies, propeller shafts mounted in said bodies and rojecting therethru said shafts being capab e of universal movement, a hand wheel for actuating said shafts iny unison, a depending stem carryin said hand wheel, steering mechanism, p ane tilting mechanism, a hand Wheel beneath and in line with the other hand wheel, and means separately controlled from the second hand wheel for operating said steering mechanism and tilting mechanism interchangeably.

14. In a flying machine the combination of a cabin, a plurality of p'lanes disposed above and below said cabin in vertical parallel alinement, scoo s disposed alongside said cabin on either si e thereof, fuselage flanking said scoops and providing opposing air channels in which said scoops are disposed, and mechanism located at one end of said machine and controlled from said cabin for creating forced gusts of air to flow upwardly in said air channels being directed by said chutes against the planes and being urged by said mechanism against the sides of said cabin to sust-ain the same stabilizingly.

In witness whereof he has hereunto set his hand this 7 day of Februar 1925.

JOHN B LGIANO. 

